1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller effectively controlling the power for a washing machine or a drier, and a method of doing the same, and more particularly, to a controller for a washing machine or a dryer, and a method for supplying the power so that a washing machine and a drier as a one body may perform an optimal efficiency in a range of a current limit, when supplied the power by the same power source.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a related art device combining a washing machine and a dryer.
As sown in FIG. 1, a washing machine 10 and a dryer 20 are included. At a top of the washing machine 10 are formed a display part 11 for displaying operation of the washing machine and an opening part 12 for having the laundry loaded therein or vice versa. At a top of the dryer are formed a display part 21 for displaying operation of the dryer 20 and an opening part 22 for having the laundry loaded therein or vice versa.
In general, every electric home appliance has an optimal performance current for performing the optimal efficiency. There are some cases of not supplying an optimal performance current due to other reasons, and that is caused by a current limit.
The current limit is an electric current value limited for securing the customer, preventing a fire caused by overheating an electric home appliance, and an accident of an electric shock caused by electric leakage due to overflowing currents in the electric home appliances. A designer of an electric home appliance should set an optimal performance current in a range of a current limit value. Especially, the sum total of the whole currents for an electric home appliance combining more than two products should not exceed the current limit, even in case that the more than two machines are put into operation at the same time.
For example, under the regulations a current limit of an average American house should not exceed 15 amps (A), and in that case, the sum total of a current consumption for the electric home appliance should not exceed 15 amps.
For example, when designing a device combining a washing machine and a dryer, the current consumption in case of putting the washing machine and the dryer into operation at the same time should meet the current limit. Thus, each electric home appliance has an optimal performance current, and since the security of the customers has to be put into consideration, the device should be designed to find an optimum level between its optimal performance current and the current limit and to perform the optimal efficiency within the range.
Generally, the optimal performance current is determined by independent operation of each product. If more than two products are operated at the same time and the current value satisfying each optimal performance current of the products is provided, the current value would exceed the current limits of the products. Also, even in case that each product is not operated at the same time to satisfy the current limit values of each product, an amount of currents is reduced in advance, preparing against the case of operating the products simultaneously. Thereby permanent current loss may be cased as shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a method of supplying the power for the related art washing machine and dryer will be described.
A product 1 (a washing machine) and a product 2 (a dryer) drive by means of lower currents 32 and 42 than each optimal performance current thereof 33 and 43, even when the product 1 and 2 are operated separately. That is, even when either of the two products is operated, the two products are designed to drive by the regularly lower currents 32 and 42 than the optimal performance currents 33 and 43 for being prepared against the case of operating the two products simultaneously. Thus, the following problem may be caused. Since the current loss 31 and 41 of the products are expected in advance, neither of the two products may perform its optimal efficiency although either of the products is operated.